David Seymour has criticised the Speaker for booting him from Parliament following the ACT leader's "grandpa" jibe at Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters.
Seymour asked Peters in Parliament on Thursday why he has not been able to convince Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to shift New Zealand to COVID-19 alert level 1 sooner.
Peters laughed it off, calling Seymour "sunshine" and then going on to mock the fact that Seymour is the only ACT Party MP in Parliament.
"The reality is we belong to a coalition where cooperation and debate - sometimes heated - nevertheless leads to better decisions... Not some discordant one-man-band where the leader and the supporter is the same person."
House Speaker Trevor Mallard allowed Peters' use of the phrase 'sunshine' because he said it's a term of 'endearment', or a word used to express affection.
Seymour then shot back at Peters, 75, calling him "grandpa", sparking a sharp reaction from New Zealand First MP Tracey Martin who is also Seniors Minister.
"I object to the ageist phrase that the member just used."
Seymour defended the jibe saying it was also a "term of endearment".
The Speaker ruled out Seymour being allowed to ask any further questions but the Epsom MP argued the ruling was not fair.
"Mr Speaker you frequently allow other members to ask their question even after cautioning them about their conduct. To take a question away on that basis is grossly unfair and undermines this House being able to hold the Government accountable."
Mallard said Seymour "deliberately flouted" the rules and ordered the ACT leader to leave the chamber after he interjected again.
Seymour told Newshub he felt the Speaker's treatment of him was unfair.
"There's normally a convention that you shouldn't criticise the Speaker's decisions but people who watch this will see a Speaker coming up with any excuse to deny my right to ask a question."
Seymour's debate with the Speaker wasn't the only heated interaction in the House.
Police Minister Stuart Nash lashed out during questioning from the Opposition on whether the Black Lives Matter protest on Monday broke the COVID-19 alert level rules.
"Turn it up you bloody loser," the Labour MP said, in response to heckling from National MP Nick Smith.
